Cameron Zapadka
Fs 101 Professor Binnington
Interview Transcription
Helen Peterson
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wesbury
Me: This is Cameron Zapadka interviewing Helen Peterson on November 5 at 1:00 P.M. and I am
with Dan Marcus. First Question. Could you give me your birth date?
Helen: June 26th, 1919.
Me: Oh a June birthday, my sister was also born in June. Where were you born?
Helen: Corning, New York
Me: Was this the same town that you lived in during the 1930’s?
Helen: Yes.
Me: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Helen: I have a brother, had a brother.
Me: And what was his name?
Helen: William Hilbert.
Me: How long ago did he pass?
Helen: About three years ago.
Me: Umm, did having a brother affect your living style in the 1930’s?
Helen: He was younger than me and he resented that because he always thought that he should be
given the same things as me, so we never were really close
Me: Umm, were fathers typically the ones who were employed in the 1930’s?
Helen: Yes
Me: So your father had the job?
Helen: Yes
Me: And what was his profession?
Helen: He was the treasurer of Corning Glass Works
Me: Oh really? Okay. Well was he always at work or was he home a lot?
Helen: He would really only come home for lunch. But he worked there for sixty year, at
Corning. It was his first job after college.
Me: Where did he go to college? Do you remember?
Helen: My father?
Me: Yes.
Helen: He went to MIT.
Me: Oh wow! (Laughing). Smart guy, wow. Now was your mother the house wife?
Helen: Yes.
Me: What were her responsibilities around the house? Do you remember?
Helen: Well she took care of the laundry and the cooking and raising two children (laughter)
Me: Obviously yes. Ummm….
Helen: It might be interesting for you to know that my father said, before they were married, that
he did not want her to work outside of the home, and she never did.
Me: Well I guess if you’re the treasurer of the town’s glass company than your wife doesn’t
really need to work.
Helen: Well she was a college graduate too.
Me: Oh really? From where?
Helen: She went to Boston University.
Me: Wow. You have some smart parents! (Laughter)
Helen: That’s where I went (points to Cornell magazine)
Me: Oh wow. My friend goes there. Ummm.. Did you have any specific responsibilities around
the house?
Helen: Well there was something I used to have to do, something I hated to do; I had to empty the
water under the refrigerator. The old refrigerators with the water pan underneath. I had to empty it, and I
hated doing it. I had to make my own bed. I had to help with the cooking and I had to set the table.
Me: What about your brother? Did he have anything specific that he needed to do?
Helen: He didn’t do so much. He had to take out the garbage, and when we had ice delivered he
had to take care of that. When we had coal delivered he had to take that to the basement because it was
just piled outdoors.
Me: Umm.. So where any more responsibilities that you either liked or disliked? I know that you
disliked the refrigerator one, but where there any that you liked?
Helen: Nothing in particular. There wasn’t much required of me.
Me: Okay. Well, was your family very close knit or was it…
Helen: The family was, yes. My father’s brothers and my mother’s sisters. We spent many
holidays together.
Me: So..umm.. Did you have a favorite family tradition?
Helen: (Pause) Well, I think with the holidays, being with family because they were widely
scattered so it was nice to be together. We observed every holiday with special meals and candles and so
forth. Holidays were noticed. (laughter)
Me: That’s how it is with my family. We are very family oriented. What about you? (referring to
Dan, Dan is inaudible) Did you have a favorite holiday in the 1930’s?
Helen: Ohh I loved Christmas. I think that’s how everyone is. Every child (Laughter)
Me: Oh yea. I know that I am. Is it still your favorite?
Helen: Yes it is my favorite.
Me: Have you started listening to Christmas music yet?
Helen: I just like Christmas right now. We were at the country club the other day and the
Christmas trees were all out. To me, that is too early. I want to celebrate thanksgiving first.
Me: Umm… Were you a religious family?
Helen: My mother was. And I was. My brother and my father weren’t.
Me: What was your affiliation?
Helen: we were catholic.
Me: So you and your mother went to church often?
Helen: Yes, always.
Me: And umm.. Do you still go to church today?
Helen: I go here.
Me: Okay. Well can you compare the church now to the church back then?
Helen: Well the church here, I go to Wesbury, which is a Methodist church. But I would much
like to be able to go back to my old church. I miss it very much.
Me: Umm..Well do you think that religion has sort of dropped off compared to the 1930’s?
Helen: Well as far as my family is concerned. I have three children and none of them go to
church.
Me: Well have you tried to maybe influence them in the right direction?
Helen: They were sent to Sunday school when they were young, but since then, they have grown
up, and they don’t go to church.
Me: That seems to be the case with everyone these days. Could you characterize the town that
you lived in? Was it a suburb, urban, wealthy?
Helen: Well it was a wealthy town because of Corning Glass. During the war, the glass company
never really lost anything. We didn’t lose any jobs. But we had a lot of culture because of the glass works
and the museum.
Me: So the big industry was the glass work?
Helen: Yes it was. Because you either worked there or you were a teacher.
Me: Alright, Ummm… Was any of you extended family, not just the ones in you town but maybe
the ones from different towns affected by the depression?
Helen: If they were, I didn’t know.
Me: Umm.. So it didn’t really affect your lifestyle at all?
Helen: It didn’t affect us at all. My brother and I both went to college in the 1930’s and my father
built a home during the 30’s.
Me: So what was schooling like in the 30’s?
Helen: Well I went to an elementary school and from there to a high school which was just a
block away and I think I had a wonderful education.
Me: Your school wasn’t affected by the depression?
Helen: Well I didn’t feel it was. We had very good teachers, teachers that had been there for quite
awhile.
Me: Did you learn much of the depression in your schooling?
Helen: I don’t think I did. I didn’t realize until I was older was the depression was all about. It
wasn’t discussed in the family.
Me: Wow. So could you say that you were, in a way, secluded from everything else in he country.
Helen: Yes.
Me: Okay. Ummm…. Did you have a favorite subject in school?
Helen: I liked languages. And my main interest was children. When I went to Cornell I took child
development, I got my masters in child development
Me: Well I’m assuming that that influenced your future career. Did you have anything you liked
to do for fun in your spare time?
Helen: I loved to bicycle, I loved to knit. I miss that because I cant do it anymore because of my
eyes. (Laughter)
Me: Were there any particular activities that you were fond of in school?
Helen: I was on the library council, I liked books. I was in the glee club, I liked to sing. I think
that was about all, because I studied hard (Laughter).
Me: Were there any female sports back then?
Helen: Not specifically. There were more male sports.
Me: Umm.. In your opinion, do you think men were regarded higher than women back in the
30’s?
Helen: I think so.
Me: Do you have any idea why that is?
Helen: I really don’t know. But a man would always take preference over a woman if it was a job.
I think we were kind of the 2nd in command at that point. And for a long time after. Until the war when
the men were all gone and the women could take over.
Me: I don’t think any of your close friends or acquaintances were affected by the depression.
Probably not, right?
Helen: Probably not. But there was a black group in Corning and I think they were. They were
accepted into the school, but I think if there was a job, they were not included.
Me: Did you hear much of the depression on the radio or in newspapers?
Helen: Well I can remember when we didn’t even have a radio. I had to go across the street, her
name was Sandy. We never had a TV when I was growing up.
Me: Nothing was ever in the newspapers?
Helen: I never read the newspaper much. I’m sure it was. I think maybe we were protected
against it. Knowing my mother and father. It was never talked about.
Me: Your mother and father never seemed to get worried at any point?
Helen: No. No they didn’t.
Me: Were you working at all? Did you have a job in the 1930’s?
Helen: No. No I didn’t. No I went to school and I graduated in 37’ and went right on to college
the next year.
Me: Did you know much about President Roosevelt’s New Deal?
Helen: We heard it on the radio, but I really couldn’t say I know much about it. I think that we
were protected as children to anything adverse.
Me: Yea you don’t really want to hear that as a child. Did you learn much about President
Roosevelt?
Helen: I learned more about him as I grew older. But Eleanor Roosevelt always came to Cornell
so I became very interested in her.
Me: Did you ever meet her personally?
Helen: Oh yes, a few times. I served her tea. I was in a society at Cornell and we entertained
everyone who came.
Me: Wow that’s pretty impressive. I wish I could say that I met Michelle Obama or something.
Was it difficult to afford college in the 30’s?
Helen: I never heard that it was. As I said my parents took care of everything and I don’t think
they suffered any by sending us. Not that I was aware of. My father came to a good job and had it.
Me: Ummm… Did you ever vote in any elections?
Helen: Yes. Well when I was able to I did.
Me: Who did you end up voting for?
Helen: Well I was a republican. I can’t remember who I voted for the first time.
Me: Okay. Did your mother or father ever vote?
Helen: Oh yes.
Me: We they very political?
Helen: Oh yes. They were republicans and you did not vote democratic. I didn’t agree with that.
Me: Did you think that life in the 30’s was any different than life in the 20’s or 40’s or any other
time period?
Helen: Of course I can’t remember the 20’s. And growing up, I didn’t feel any difference.
Me: Do you think today’s recession is comparable at all to the 1930’s?
Helen: I would say yes. And I think the people that went through the depression fear today’s
recession more because they have already experienced it and they know how bad it was.
Cam: Uh huh ummm… Well I was just wondering if you could share with me some of your
fondest memories of the 1930’s.
Helen: I think my fondest memories were of my school. I loved my schooling and many of the
teachers who were so good to me and helped me get into college. And my college days I loved every
minute. I was a real student I think.
Me: Could you tell me a bit more about Cornell because I have a friend who goes there and I am
interested.
Helen: Well we had wonderful dorms; I know they are different now. We had dinners; we sat
tables with tablecloths. We were waited on. It was a wonderful experience to go down and have a lovely
dinner ready for you. I would miss that terribly.
Me: Did you go to graduate school or did you get a job right after college?
Helen: I had a jon at Smith because I was a nursery school teacher. Then I went to Kansas state
because they needed someone to run their nursery school program there and then I finished my masters in
education there. Then I taught three years before I was married.
Me: Was the nursery school your main job in your life?
Helen: Yes. Yes it was and the only reason I was able to keep it was because of the war because
they lady who had ran it before had gone off to get her husband who was in the service.
Me: Is there anything in your life that you regret doing or not doing?
Helen: No I don’t think so. I had three children who turned out to be very wonderful and educated
and my husband and I were married 56 years and he had an excellent job as a lawyer with Corning.
Education paid off. It certainly did for me.
Me: Is there anything else significant that you would like to add?
Helen: Well I would say that my whole married life was volunteering, because I wasn’t allowed
to work. When the children went to school I started working for The Salvation Army, I was on the board,
I worked for Meals on Wheels and I worked a lot in the church. My life was volunteering after my
children were in school.
Me: My mom would love you. She is real big on volunteering. I volunteered a couple of times
this summer at our local hospital. You told me earlier that you got a reward for best volunteer?
Helen: Yes, The United Way gave a reward every year. To the volunteer of two counties, and I
got it one year.
Me: So you are pretty famous in the United Way? (Laughter)
Helen: They were good to me! (Laughter)
Me: Well umm.. Sorry to change the subject here but I forgot to ask this. When you were a child,
did you have any simple luxuries like a car or anything?
Helen: Yes, we had a car. And every Sunday we went for a ride. Which I began to hate because I
wanted to do other things. As a family we went every Sunday.
Me: Did you ever go to the movies?
Helen: I did but they were screened. I remember going to some that I shouldn’t have gone to but
did anyway. A little sexy probably, (Laughter)
Me: How was culture in your town?
Helen: It was very highly respected.
Me: So you probably had a lot to do not being affected by the depression.
Helen: I think so. When I look back, I think that it was all held from me.
Me: Did you have an idle that you looked up to?
Helen: I think the one person who I looked up to a lot would be Margaret Sanger. And I worked
at Hull House in Chicago I went there for a summer because at Cornell they had the very best of
everything; they were all professors’ children. We went to Hull house and they were the very poorest that
could be helped. It was very important to me. I always liked to help people if I could. Even here, but they
don’t like that. If you should fall down, I can’t pick you up, I have to get someone else to do it.
Me: One quick question. Was Cornell considered an Ivy League school back in the 30’s?
Helen: Yes, yes.
Me: Okay. Well my friend is currently at Cornell and he is having fun and I’ll have to tell him
about this.
Helen: What is he studying?
Me: Ummm.. I think he is studying Physics. He wants to be a roller coaster designer, roller
coaster are his thing.
Helen: Well the one thing about Cornell is that they make you pass a swimming test before you
can graduate.
Me: Oh really? That’s crazy! Well I don’t think that will be much of a problem for him. He won a
State gold medal in swimming during high school.
Helen: Oh wow. But I never understood why they made you do it. You could have your degree
and everything and they would make you stay until you passed the test. But I’ve had the very best of life.
I have no complaints. Health wise or husband wise. My father was a wonderful person; he lived to be 95
and worked all of his life.
Me: So you have some good genes?
Helen: Yea, well I hope they are his.
Me: Well obviously they are because you look fine. You are 90 years old and you are still mobile.
Helen: Well where are you from?
Me: I’m from Beaver Falls, PA.
Helen: Oh, Pennsylvania people. It was very difficult for me to come here. My son lives in New
Mexico and they are retired. My daughter and her husband live in Arizona. And when my husband died,
they wanted me to come somewhere, so I came here because I was born and brought up in the east and
Kirsten was here. But when I came here, it was all Pennsylvania, everybody talked about places I had
never been to. I’ve been here 6 years now.
Me: Have you been back to you old town?
Helen: I’ve been back for two weddings and two funerals.
Me: Do you get nostalgic?
Helen: No, not anymore. I did for two or three years. Only at Christmas and other times, but my
children make an effort to come visit. They gave me a big 90th birthday party. I go to Kirsten’s every
Sunday. Because that is her only day off. But I feel like this is home now.
Me: Well good. Alright, well I think that’s all
Helen: It’s very nice of you people to do this.
Me: Ohh it’s our pleasure. Thank you.